Discussion:
Open apology to Bob Hoover
(too old to reply)
ekoman
2004-05-07 07:34:33 UTC
Permalink
Well, Bob, I have to say something.

It was *I* who bought you Grendel.

It wasn't from malice, or because I wanted to rip you off (you never implied
or stated either in any of your "sermons", but I still feel bad about it),
but it was because I just didn't know any better at the time.

I was then (and still am in many ways, though not physically) young, and
just wanted to help someone out. I think you realized that in everything you
did, although I resented your wisdom at the time, and for many years
afterwards, really thought you were "out to get me" or something, to the
point that I hid in most Volkswagen oriented newsgroups, even though I felt
that this is where my path lay.

Tens of thousands of aircooled miles behind me now, almost a decade in time,
could you forgive me for this now? You have never said overtly or covertly
any unkind word to (or about) me, but for some reason this eats at my soul,
not sure why.

Now that I am almost 40 ( gasp), my father that you travelled with dead 6
years, I realize what a special time it was to have you with us. Instead of
learning from your experience and knowledge, I and my brother knew it ALL
(laugh), and rejected you. Damn youth, if I had only known then what I know
now.

I am not even sure what I expect from you, absolution? forgiveness? or maybe
I just want to expose the stupidity of my youth in a public forum to assuage
these irrational(?) feelings of guilt?

I dunno, but I feel better having written this. Maybe that is what I was
after. Timelines are subject to change, think I am WAY off.
--
Eric Oster (remove the obvious to reply)
1960 Karmann Ghia Convertible(in boxes)
1965 Beetle....more work than I planned on
1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT Vert(basket case)
1967 Standard Beetle (almost done)
1967 Westphalia (mostly done)
1974 Kombi (As done as he will get)
2002 New Beetle Turbo S (totalled 12/31/2003)
Braukuche
2004-05-07 22:59:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by ekoman
It was *I* who bought you Grendel.
OMG!!! Anyone on this list who is not familiar with the Grendel Saga has got to
find it somehow and read it. I will go so far as to thank Eric for selling
Grenel to Bob. Grendel was nothing more than Bob's muse. Without Grendel there
would have been no saga and as far as I am concerned those of us who have read
and enjoyed the story would be so much the poorer.
--Dan E
John Connolly
2004-05-07 23:38:24 UTC
Permalink
I still can't figure out the first sentence....

"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."

I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.

John
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Post by Braukuche
Post by ekoman
It was *I* who bought you Grendel.
OMG!!! Anyone on this list who is not familiar with the Grendel Saga has got to
find it somehow and read it. I will go so far as to thank Eric for selling
Grenel to Bob. Grendel was nothing more than Bob's muse. Without Grendel there
would have been no saga and as far as I am concerned those of us who have read
and enjoyed the story would be so much the poorer.
--Dan E
Stutzsr
2004-05-08 00:28:44 UTC
Permalink
My congratulations to you for your apology. It is a sign of maturity and
appreciation. Many of us here were "smart asses' in our youth. Its never too
late to admit you were wrong about something..."The truth will set you free."
Same with parents.....tell them before its too late......they are you in 25
years or less.....Eric been there done that
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott
2004-05-08 00:46:51 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
John, thanks for asking about that. I, too, have been puzzling over that
sentence.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 VW Type 2 -- the Wonderbus (AKA the Saunabus in summer)
KG6RCR
John Connolly
2004-05-08 03:09:55 UTC
Permalink
the impression I got from the initial post is that Bob was on some bad times
and "had" to sell Grendel to someone who took advantage of him.

But I kinda "know" Bob from his posts and his Sermons writings, and he'd go
to his grave before that ever happened (just on principle). Just reading the
Grendel files alone will give you this much insight into Bob Hoover; I
recall the angst over the brake drum, I almost wept just reading it (not an
exaggeration).

So I'm still lost. :-)

If anyone likes good writing and likes VWs, this story is a must for your
archive and memory.



John
Aircooled.Net Inc.

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
Post by Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
John, thanks for asking about that. I, too, have been puzzling over that
sentence.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 VW Type 2 -- the Wonderbus (AKA the Saunabus in summer)
KG6RCR
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 08:05:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
And I thought I was just being a silly foreigner and decided to keep my
mouth shut about that ;)

Jan
John Connolly
2004-05-08 14:51:47 UTC
Permalink
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend), but your
English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the spoken British. :-)

John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
Post by Jan Andersson
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
And I thought I was just being a silly foreigner and decided to keep my
mouth shut about that ;)
Jan
Max Welton
2004-05-08 15:00:58 UTC
Permalink
And Jan's English is 100% better than the average American's Finish.

Max
Post by John Connolly
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend), but your
English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the spoken British. :-)
John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
Post by Jan Andersson
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
And I thought I was just being a silly foreigner and decided to keep my
mouth shut about that ;)
Jan
--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 15:07:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by Max Welton
And Jan's English is 100% better than the average American's Finish.
Max
Hahahahaha !


BTW, there are 3 cities/towns in america named Finland. I'd like to
visit them sometime. I wonder if anyone there speaks finnish :)

Jan
Gary Tateosian
2004-05-08 15:16:48 UTC
Permalink
On Sat, 08 May 2004 18:07:25 +0300, Jan Andersson
Post by Jan Andersson
I wonder if anyone there speaks finnish :)
...they tried to institute it, but the project was finnished befoire
it even started....


...Gareth (what the hell I know it was a groaner, but the two hours
sleep last night left me even stranger than normal)
Olli Lammi
2004-05-10 19:44:43 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jan Andersson
BTW, there are 3 cities/towns in america named Finland. I'd like to
visit them sometime. I wonder if anyone there speaks finnish :)
I bet someone in one of those cities is reading my VW Trends right
now. VW Trends has now tried to send my subscription to me
for 5 months and I have not received any. (Yes, I have contacted
them for couple of times and we have cheked and re-checked
the address...)

Enjoy my magazine in there. ;)

---
Olli
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 15:05:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend),
And I take it as such too, bring it on :D
Post by John Connolly
but your English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the
spoken British. :-)

Thanks John

My english may be better than that of the Brits, not sure, for that I'd
have to understand what they are saying ;)


Jan
John Connolly
2004-05-08 16:44:42 UTC
Permalink
I know how to say "I have a 12" P#N!$" in, oh wait, that's Swedish.

(that's a play on that line from the movie "Splash")

John
Aircooled.Net inc.
Post by Jan Andersson
Post by John Connolly
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend),
And I take it as such too, bring it on :D
Post by John Connolly
but your English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the
spoken British. :-)
Thanks John
My english may be better than that of the Brits, not sure, for that I'd
have to understand what they are saying ;)
Jan
Michael Cecil
2004-05-08 17:28:45 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
I know how to say "I have a 12" P#N!$" in, oh wait, that's Swedish.
(that's a play on that line from the movie "Splash")
Now, if only you can find a restricted building with a Swedish guard...
--
Michael Cecil
http://home.comcast.net/~macecil/
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 19:03:10 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
I know how to say "I have a 12" P#N!$" in, oh wait, that's Swedish.
(that's a play on that line from the movie "Splash")
John
Aircooled.Net inc.
Haha! Yea, had to be Swedish. We in Finland don't have any that short....

;)

Jan
RSMEINER
2004-05-08 19:34:13 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jan Andersson
Haha! Yea, had to be Swedish. We in Finland don't have any that short....
;)
Jan
But you have some real vivid imaginations.




Randy
http://members.aol.com/rsmeiner
Gary Tateosian
2004-05-08 20:18:40 UTC
Permalink
Post by RSMEINER
But you have some real vivid imaginations.
...either that or they are REALLY bad at converting standard
measurements to metric. ;-))

...Gareth
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 20:33:57 UTC
Permalink
Post by Gary Tateosian
Post by RSMEINER
But you have some real vivid imaginations.
...either that or they are REALLY bad at converting standard
measurements to metric. ;-))
...Gareth
hehehehehe



Jan
RSMEINER
2004-05-08 21:18:27 UTC
Permalink
Post by Gary Tateosian
...either that or they are REALLY bad at converting standard
measurements to metric. ;-))
...Gareth
Either that or they think - is an inch.


Randy
http://members.aol.com/rsmeiner
RSMEINER
2004-05-08 15:14:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend), but your
English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the spoken British. :-)
John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
I think your estimates of Jan's englist are to low.



Randy
http://members.aol.com/rsmeiner
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 18:58:58 UTC
Permalink
Post by RSMEINER
Post by John Connolly
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend), but your
English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the spoken British. :-)
John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
I think your estimates of Jan's englist are to low.
Randy
Randy, you misspelled "english"


ROTFLMAO

;)

Jan
RSMEINER
2004-05-08 19:33:40 UTC
Permalink
Post by Jan Andersson
Randy, you misspelled "english"
ROTFLMAO
;)
Jan
Proved my own point, didn't I.


Randy
http://members.aol.com/rsmeiner
Jan Andersson
2004-05-08 20:24:30 UTC
Permalink
Post by RSMEINER
Post by Jan Andersson
Randy, you misspelled "english"
ROTFLMAO
;)
Jan
Proved my own point, didn't I.
Randy
http://members.aol.com/rsmeiner
exactly :)

Couldn't have done it better myself :P

Jan
Max Welton
2004-05-08 20:10:09 UTC
Permalink
On Sat, 08 May 2004 21:58:58 +0300, Jan Andersson
Post by Jan Andersson
Post by RSMEINER
Post by John Connolly
gimme a break Jan, we made fun of you (because you are a friend), but your
English is better then 1/2 the Americans and 2/3 of the spoken British. :-)
John
Aircooled.Net Inc.
I think your estimates of Jan's englist are to low.
Randy
Randy, you misspelled "english"
ROTFLMAO
;)
Jan
That's ok. I misspelled Finnish.

Max
--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/
cloud8
2004-05-10 16:56:43 UTC
Permalink
Max Welton <***@yahoo.com> wrote in news:***@news.individual.de:

Grendel is the monster of the Old English epic Beowulf,
and John Gardner wrote a brilliant novel telling the tale
from the point of view of Grendel's mother.

Somehow, I think that has nothing to do with this thread. I
learn from my friend Google that Grendel was a bus that
Bob Hoover rescued, and that his Grendel files were well
received.

Can someone point me towards them? Thanx!
--
Bill, still catching up...
Arlington, Mass.
'70 Covertible
ekoman
2004-05-11 07:14:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
Post by Braukuche
Post by ekoman
It was *I* who bought you Grendel.
OMG!!! Anyone on this list who is not familiar with the Grendel Saga has
got to
Post by Braukuche
find it somehow and read it. I will go so far as to thank Eric for selling
Grenel to Bob. Grendel was nothing more than Bob's muse. Without Grendel
there
Post by Braukuche
would have been no saga and as far as I am concerned those of us who
have
Post by John Connolly
read
Post by Braukuche
and enjoyed the story would be so much the poorer.
--Dan E
OK, I see some confusion about this.

Bob and I exchanged some emails years and years ago.

He: :Any good busses for sale up there in WA?

Me: Hmm, what you looking for?

He: Oh, a bus of some kind.

Me: Oh yeah, I know this GREAT '67 westy for sale, only $600 (I think that
was the price.)

The actual condition of the bus? ohmygod rusty. "Mechanically insolvent" I
think would be the best phrase to use, if that is a phrase. I don't think
there was anything remotely salvageable on this bus. At this stage of my
life, I think that calling it a "parts bus" would be erring on the side of
being too generous.

In my defense, a "good" bus here in WA (or anywhere up north) differs a
great deal from a "good" bus in California/New Mexico/Arizona. Ok, that's
pretty weak, but I was so clueless at the time, and he handled it with grace
and dignity.
Juper Wort
2004-05-13 12:45:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Braukuche
Post by John Connolly
I still can't figure out the first sentence....
"It was *I* who bought you Grendel."
I thought Bob bought Grendel, so I'm lost.
John
Post by Braukuche
Post by ekoman
It was *I* who bought you Grendel.
OMG!!! Anyone on this list who is not familiar with the Grendel Saga has
got to
Post by Braukuche
find it somehow and read it. I will go so far as to thank Eric for
selling
Post by John Connolly
Post by Braukuche
Grenel to Bob. Grendel was nothing more than Bob's muse. Without Grendel
there
Post by Braukuche
would have been no saga and as far as I am concerned those of us who
have
Post by John Connolly
read
Post by Braukuche
and enjoyed the story would be so much the poorer.
--Dan E
OK, I see some confusion about this.
Bob and I exchanged some emails years and years ago.
He: :Any good busses for sale up there in WA?
Me: Hmm, what you looking for?
He: Oh, a bus of some kind.
Me: Oh yeah, I know this GREAT '67 westy for sale, only $600 (I think that
was the price.)
The actual condition of the bus? ohmygod rusty. "Mechanically insolvent" I
think would be the best phrase to use, if that is a phrase. I don't think
there was anything remotely salvageable on this bus. At this stage of my
life, I think that calling it a "parts bus" would be erring on the side of
being too generous.
In my defense, a "good" bus here in WA (or anywhere up north) differs a
great deal from a "good" bus in California/New Mexico/Arizona. Ok, that's
pretty weak, but I was so clueless at the time, and he handled it with grace
and dignity.
I've got one of those busses !
I swear the sliding & front door 'dip' together at the top. Black tape holds
the rear valance in one piece, and each gear feels like its in the same
place, there's so much play...

James

James

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